When Irish Eyes are smiling
by Celticgirl84
Summary: Rose is assigned an essay about her life
1. Chapter 1

**This is a little different from what I normally write, but here goes. I have taken the first part of this fic my favourite book Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, so credit for that goes to him.**

I sat thinking about what to write, Tom had set the class an essay to discuss their lives so far, but as the eldest in the class was 17 apart from me, I was going to have a lot more to write.

Rose Kelly A level coursework

I had a miserable Childhood, not just a normal miserable Childhood, but worse than that, A miserable Irish Childhood. Even worse than a miserable Irish Childhood, is the Miserable Catholic Irish Childhood. That described mines perfectly, my father like so many others was out of work, any money he did have he drank, my mother done exactly as he said, she said she was just being a good wife, and that she had no other option. And as I was the eldest, I shouldered a lot of the responsibility for my younger brothers and sisters.

I had my first drink at 13, Dad had left a bottle of whiskey unfinished for what must have been the first time, and I drank it. I don't know why, but I loved it, and needed more and more. I stopped going to school shortly after that, had to get a job to try and feed the kids and my parents.

One day when I was 15 I seen him, I was working in the local chip shop, and he came in, I knew from the second that I saw him, that I loved him, and wanted him.

"Two bags of chips love" he said, and my heart melted, he called me love, I gave him extra chips of course, and that was the start of my budding Romance with Shane Kelly.

My Dad was furious when I brought shame on our family, I got pregnant, and that was not allowed, he was a strict catholic, a little hypocritical when you consider he married my mum only 4 months before I was born, but I knew I had to keep quiet.

Our wedding was arranged, a quick service in the church followed by a reception in the church hall, of course my father had not paid for any of it, Shanes family had, they seemed so nice and welcomed me into their family.

Rose Kelly, my name had a ring to it, and I have a ring on my finger, who would have thought that I would marry Shane Kelly, his father owns a large farm on the outskirts of the town, he said I would never have to work again, and that sounded delightful, I could read, go to the library, do all the things I wanted to before, and I made a resolution that day, I would never Drink again, well maybe after this glass of wine, it is my wedding day after all, and I had a lot to celebrate.

As I sat and read what I had written so far, it brought back so many conflicting feelings of love, and resentment, If only I knew then what I know now, my life would be so different. Well enough homework for one night I thought to myself as I grabbed a bar of chocolate and headed for the TV, the Sopranos was coming on.


	2. Chapter 2

I had just finished work for the day, it had been busier than normal in the canteen, and Candice had been sick, which meant I had double the work to do. I walked home, and found Sam, Marley and Denzil were already doing homework, and Prince was mesmorised by the TV. I sat down at the kitchen table and decided to spend an hour doing my essay for Tom, before the chaos of Dinner in the Kelly household.

_I knew I shouldn't have had that drink, Why I did it, I will never know, but I did, and after that one, I had another, followed by another, it was any wonder that my Baby turned out OK, but he was born, and I fell in love with him that Instant, I called him Marley. I had been reading a Christmas Carol, just before he was born, and well, I don't think I would have ever been forgiven by Shane if I picked the name scrooge, which I did suggest, but power of Vito and all._

_Marley was delightful, he had his father's colouring and was a wonderful baby, he hardly ever cried, but when he was only a few months old, I was pregnant again. Shane though he had married a bloody rabbit, but we were happy, and this time, I did manage to stay off the drink for the entire 9 months. Earl was born, and he was nothing like his brother, I knew he was going to be bother from a very young age, and I hit the drink, I found it so hard to cope with 2 babies, and looking back, I knew what I had. I had Post Natal Depression, back then it wasn't as widely known about, least not in Fennell's Bay, going back to our small Harbour town, was like a kick back to the 50's. But I tried my best to get on with it, until the fateful day._

_I had been to the park with Marley and Earl, both still Tiny, but Marley was walking now, we spent the day on the swings, before heading back home. I opened the door to our house, and heard noises coming from upstairs, so I, being me, went to investigate, Shane was in my bed, with another woman, she looked gorgeous and young, not washed up like me. I was far from old, but after having 2 kids, was I just used goods to him, he wanted a younger model. I done the only thing I knew how then. I got the kids, packed their things, took all the money I could find and left. I went back to my parents, but that was no good for more than a few days, so I decided to go to the City._

_We got a small house in Castleknock on the outskirts of Dublin, I started to drink again, that was a given, everytime there is some drama in my life I drink, wither I be happy or sad. I think its some kind of disease, or maybe genetic, like father like daughter, but everytime I got drunk I hated myself even more. I went out one night to a club, I had put the boys to sleep and left them. They would be fine, they would just sleep through the night, and I met a man. He seemed nice, but with me judging, he was probably some psycho. It didn't matter he found me attractive, and I did him, but after a bottle of Sambuka, anything in trousers seems attractive to me. I took him home to my house, and the next morning he left, I didn't even get his name._

_A few months later I was beginning to show, my belly was ever expanding, and this time I hoped for a girl. Marley was great, but 2 year old Earl, was a different story, he like to kill animals, just bugs and things, but still that's not normal is it. I was walking along O'Connell street going to the General Post Office to get my Child Support money when I heard someone shout "wait up" when I turned round it was him. The only reason I recognised him was from the next morning, when I woke up I had no idea who he was or what happened the night before, It took me a long time to get that memory back._

"_Your Pregnant" he said in disbelief and I nodded and told him it was his. He introduced himself as Reynold, and that leads to another chapter of my life._


End file.
